Chapter 192: Always Chant My Name, Poseidon. (Patreon)

In the Sanctuary, Saori Kido, standing atop the highest altar holding the golden scepter, finally let out a sigh of relief.

These last several hours had been a difficult challenge for Saori Kido, who had only recently awakened her Cosmo.

Her power could only slow the dissolution of the massive glaciers. Had it continued for another two hours, her Cosmo would have been exhausted, just as it was in the normal course of history.

But after these rounds of struggle, she felt she could now properly control her Cosmo even without the golden scepter.

Surely the Saints in the land of the gods were making similar progress through their own trials.

“The glaciers have stopped melting, and Antarctica is returning to its natural order. It seems Camus and the others have succeeded. It's all thanks to them!” Athena revealed a relaxed smile.

“You have also suffered greatly. If you had not been here to counter Hilda's evil power, this world would have already been dragged into a fate of being submerged.” Mu of Aries bowed as he helped Athena down from the altar.

“Now, we just need to wait for…!”

BOOM!!!

A blue torrent, like a raging tide, destroyed the Sanctuary's barrier, dragging the sacred ground, which had known peace for two hundred and forty-four years, back into the highest level of terror.

“The barrier... shattered?!” Guarding the front of the Twelve Houses, Shaka of Virgo suddenly looked up at the whip-like cracks spreading across the barrier above.

The Sanctuary's barrier was not unbreakable, but even for a god, destroying it was no simple task.

Yet, to have it utterly destroyed by a single force without any warning… Shaka of Virgo rose to his feet, the answer already clear in his mind.

Before anyone could react, the figure that descended with the blue torrent passed through the Twelve Houses and appeared before Saori Kido at the throne.

It was as if time itself had stopped. Only the ebb and flow of a deep blue, unfathomable power could be felt as a familiar yet strange figure appeared on the altar.

Behind him, the vast seas raged. Warriors in Scale armors swarmed and engulfed the Sanctuary like a tidal wave.

“Julian… no, you are Poseidon!” Saori Kido cried out his name.

Athena was not unfamiliar with the person before her. She had met him once at a banquet—Julian, the son of a Greek shipping magnate.

But this familiar feeling, combined with an oppressive aura that surpassed any she had ever witnessed, including that of Seiya and all the other Saints, already gave her the answer.

—Poseidon.

When he is angered, sea monsters appear in the ocean. When he brandishes his trident, he unleashes monstrous waves, stirring storms and tsunamis to sink continents and crack the very earth.

If he so wished, he could smash all of creation to pieces, triggering earthquakes and volcanoes.

When he rides his chariot across the sea, the waves grow calm, and dolphins follow in his wake.

A chief god of the highest order, the Sea Emperor who coveted the throne of Zeus himself.

Before the altar, Mu of Aries and the other Saints who had rushed from the Twelve Houses all fell to their knees. It was not that they were weak, but the divine pressure of a supreme god forced them to tremble, every cell in their bodies screaming at their brains to flee.

The Mariners following behind him cast scornful smiles at the Saints.

But the young man before Athena paid them no mind. He strode past Mu of Aries and came to stand before Saori Kido at the altar.

“It's been a long time, Athena. It seems your Saints have protected you very well,” the young man before her said with a smile.

Though his words were polite, Saori Kido could still feel the disdain for her own power within them.

Saori Kido could bear this humiliation, but she was more concerned about something else.

“What about Milo and Aioria?” Saori Kido asked anxiously.

They were responsible for monitoring the Mariners' movements. Since Poseidon had acted personally, they naturally stood no chance.

“You still have the interest to care for those underlings of yours? For daring to raise their fists against a god, there is naturally only one outcome.”

Poseidon smiled, taking another step forward to a dangerously close distance.

“And for you, there is also only one outcome.”

Saori Kido sensed an unprecedented danger and instinctively raised her golden scepter.

Poseidon raised his right hand and flicked it lightly.

A searing blue light completely shattered Saori Kido's resistance, and its remaining power pierced through the Twelve Houses, engulfing the entire Sanctuary in a sea of fire.

With a wave of his sleeve, he completely enveloped Saori Kido, while the Saints who fought desperately to resist were utterly powerless against Poseidon's pressure.

“How can this be... Emperor Poseidon himself has invaded the Sanctuary!”

Mu of Aries struggled to his feet, his body trembling as he clenched his fists as tightly as possible.

“Damn you, Poseidon! Don't you dare look down on the Saints!”

In an instant, Mu of Aries's Starlight Extinction fully formed, roaring as it shot towards Poseidon.

From afar, phantoms of celestial myths appeared as Shaka, having awakened his Cosmo to the Eighth Sense for the second time, also unleashed his Tenma Kofuku.

But both beams of light were intercepted by several figures before they could reach Poseidon.

One, wearing crimson Scales and bearing a striking resemblance to Saga of Gemini, met the incoming Tenma Kofuku with a Galaxian Explosion.

Another Marine General created an air defense wall with near-light-speed movements, blocking the impact of the Starlight Extinction.

From beginning to end, Poseidon never once glanced at the Saints. His eyes were fixed on Saori Kido before him.

“What a tasteless bunch of Saints. It's best you come with me to my temple for a visit.”

Given the current situation, Saori Kido could not refuse, nor did she have the power to.

To the Saints, it was as if lightning had fallen from the sky, followed by a great wave that swallowed the earth and the Sanctuary.

When the setting sun cast its light upon the marble pillars, all that remained was a Sanctuary in ruins.

Seiya looked up at the deep blue sky above, squinting slightly.

The blue hour, a brief period that occurs only before sunrise and after sunset. At this time, the sun was below the horizon, and as Seiya watched, the sky turned a serene blue.

He returned to the Sanctuary with his victorious party, but there was no celebratory atmosphere.

Including Shaka of Virgo and Mu of Aries, all the Saints gathered before the Sanctuary, kneeling on one knee before Seiya, who sat on the Pope's throne.

Mu of Aries even pressed his forehead to the ground.

“So, while we were quelling the God Warrior rebellion in Northern Europe, Emperor Poseidon and his cronies snuck in and wrecked the place.” Seiya listened to Mu of Aries's report, understanding the situation perfectly.

“I was right before the goddess's altar, tasked as the Saint of Aries, the first house, to protect her, and yet I failed…” Mu of Aries's forehead bled on the throne room floor.

Before he could finish his words of remorse, Seiya interrupted him.

“Enough. Against a chief god like Emperor Poseidon, on the same level as Athena and Hades, you Saints have already done very well.”

“I will hold your benevolence in my heart, Mu. But this sin and shame, please allow me to atone with my life—”

Seiya looked at the Saints before him.

Setting aside the Silver and Bronze Saints, those with the power of a Gold Saint were Mu of Aries and Shaka of Virgo, who had guarded the Sanctuary; Aldebaran of Taurus and Camus of Aquarius, who returned with him; Crystal of Cancer and Daidalos of Cepheus; and the four young powerhouses.

By his calculations, their fighting strength was not inferior to Poseidon's Seven Marine Generals.

The only troubles were the vast number of Mariners and Poseidon himself.

If the God Warrior rebellion was easy mode, then Emperor Poseidon's Undersea Temple was a hard-difficulty dungeon, but it was still within a manageable range.

Seiya spoke slowly, “Do not worry. The stars in the heavens reveal the fate of the Saints.

Aioria of Leo and Milo of Scorpio have not had their souls return to the Underworld. They are still alive.

As for your life… since Poseidon has chosen to provoke this war, then we shall grant him his wish.”

The expressions of the Saints turned grim. Spoken by Seiya, the acting Pope, this meant that Athena's Sanctuary was formally declaring war on Poseidon's Undersea Temple.

“If you wish to go to war, to journey to the Undersea Temple and bring back Lady Athena,” then the question was how to get there.

Poseidon's domain had long been sealed off from the outside world. Without permission, even a god would find it difficult to set foot inside.

“Sister.” Freya, as if realizing something, turned to look at Polaris, who had accompanied her to the Sanctuary.

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This queen of the land of the gods, her kind face restored, took the initiative and bowed slightly to Seiya.

“Please leave this matter to me. I was once deceived by Poseidon and betrayed the great god Odin, causing trouble for you all.

If you are to invade the Undersea Temple, I know a passage.”

Since Emperor Poseidon was the first to backstab the land of the gods, his vassal state, then he shouldn't blame Hilda for her betrayal.

“That won't be necessary. Getting to the Undersea Temple doesn't need to be so troublesome.” Seiya stated plainly.

“We just need to wait a moment.”

The Undersea Temple, the Pillar of Life.

Saori Kido walked along the long corridor with Poseidon, her hands clasped at her waist.

Though she was a captive, Julian, the reincarnation of Poseidon, displayed his usual courtesy, granting Athena a considerable degree of freedom.

It was the grace of a nobleman, and also confidence in his own power. He was certain that Saori Kido could not escape his grasp.

Saori Kido followed him to the top of the tall tower.

The churning seawater above was like a firmament, and before her lay the boundless undersea world.

Mariners clad in Scales gathered at the base of the tower, and upon seeing the figure accompanying Saori Kido, they erupted into unparalleled fanaticism.

“—Poseidon!”

“—Poseidon!!”

“—Poseidon!!!”

They chanted one name in unison.

Any warrior would be moved by such an atmosphere. But Saori Kido remained expressionless.

She gazed at the handsome Julian before her.

“Are you trying to show off your Mariners to me? What is your true intention?”

“No. I just wanted you to see. This is the world and the people I rule. Soon, the mortal realm you rule will also come under my control,” Julian calmly declared his prophecy.

“In your dreams! My Saints will never let you lay a finger on that great land!”

“Do you think I am negotiating with you? You still haven't grasped the current situation—”

Julian gestured downward with his palm, and in that instant, a vision only Saori Kido could see appeared in her mind.

It was a torrential downpour happening simultaneously all over the world, falling at the highest rate of two hundred and forty millimeters per hour.

At the same time, typhoons of exaggerated scale were brewing in the Western Pacific and elsewhere, and earthquakes were about to strike the land.

Unlike Hilda, who needed to melt glaciers to flood the world, the true Emperor Poseidon could, by his will alone, create natural disasters on a global scale out of thin air.

As long as he wished it, the rain would be endless until the entire planet was submerged.

Saori Kido's frantic mind could no longer calculate how long it would take to submerge the world at such an astonishing rate of rainfall.

“You already rule the undersea world, and now you want to seize the mortal realm as well. If you do that, everything on the great land will disappear! What will it take for you to stop?!” Saori Kido asked.

Poseidon smiled. “Stop? What a weak thing to say. But alas, I currently find myself captivated by your beauty. After I have this world in my grasp, I will naturally share my authority with you.”

To everyone's surprise, this supreme god suddenly knelt on one knee before Athena.

“Marry me. When the time comes, I will grant the earth back to you in the new world I create.”

Saori Kido looked with disgust at the elegant nobleman before her.

“I refuse. I will not cooperate with an evil god who brings calamity to the earth, nor will I submit to anyone.”

Even after being told this, there was no trace of displeasure on Poseidon's face.

He looked at her, at the resolve written all over her face.

“Alright. Since you have prepared yourself mentally and still harbor such ill will towards me, then I will give you one last chance—”

He paused. “Are you not Athena, the goddess of wisdom who protects humanity and the earth? Then enter the Pillar of Life. How about you take the place of humanity and bear all the rain and disasters of this world yourself?”

To bear all the world's rain upon her own body, an endless punishment that would drain her Cosmo—Saori Kido did not hesitate for a second.

“I believe my Saints will defeat you.”

Saori Kido gave Poseidon one last deep look, then walked to the entrance of the Pillar of Life on her own accord, closing her eyes and ignoring her former acquaintance.

“Hoping your Saints will defeat me? Did you not see your Saints being trampled by my Mariners in your own Sanctuary?” Poseidon did not hide his mockery of Athena's Saints.

“Or are you pinning your hopes on those warriors from Northern Europe, or perhaps… that insignificant… Pegasus?”

The moment his words fell, the sneer froze on Poseidon's face. An explosive, shattering light erupted in the space above his head.

In the two hundred million years of this ocean's history, there had never been such a brilliant light.

It was as if the sun had descended into the deep sea.

A triple sun time-wheel transformed into a fist of light that pierced the undersea firmament, striking Poseidon squarely in the face.

“—Pegasus Sun Scorpion Fist!”